The Top 5 Questions Hotel Companies and Tech Suppliers Need to Ask When Looking for a Development and Consulting Partner

Andrew Sanders, VP of Travel & Hospitality at DataArt, explores key factors that distinguish a good development and consulting partner for hotel companies in Hotel Online.

“Many organizations believe that being first to market is the most important factor when developing software. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s true that you need to focus on speed, but more importantly, you need to focus on the speed of adoption related to the engagement.

In several cases, technology and consulting engagements fail due to the lack of up-front due diligence and a full needs assessment. Impeccable documentation regarding findings is key along with a very clear statement of work and strong project, engagement and delivery management.

Within the travel and hospitality industry, traveler experience and guest engagement are the key areas of focus when it comes to new technologies. When deciding upon a development partner, you will want to ensure that they are experts in the industry and have a strong track record of delivering products or integrations that can enhance overall traveler/guest engagement.

Our industry is unique because high touch service is the driving force of the business. With this in mind, your partner needs to have a strong grasp of specific operations, technology, integrations and the hierarchy specific to this complex ecosystem.

Unexpected things often transpire during the development and delivery of a solution, product or integration. Knowing that the people working on your project and those backing them up are top-notch, will ensure a successful engagement.”